MANUREWA

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 278, 25 May 1917, Page 1

MANUREWA

ROAD BOARD MERGING At a special meeting of the Manukau County Council on Tuesday last a petition signed by 53 ratepayers, representing property valued at approximately £207,000 in the Manurewa road district, was presented asking the Council to exercise powers conferred, under section 31 of the Counties Act, 1908, and to declare by special order, the said district abolished and merged in the Manukau Council as from March 31, 1917, or as soon after as possible. A letter objecting to the merging was received from Mr G. F. Druce, Chairman of the Manure wa Road Board, but Mr Druce was not in attendance to prosecute his objection. Mr C. H. Lupton was present on behalf of the petitioners and explained that the total value of the district was £225,920 and consequently the signatories was easily above the half amount stipulated for by the Act. The number of ratepayers on the roll was 123 but many were duplicate entries whilst some 30 or 40 were absentees. He added that Although the matter had not been discussed by the Board three or four members of the Board had signed the petition. A resolution was passed giving effect to the petition, the merging to come into force on July 20th next. The official. adv.t relative to the merging will be found in our advor tising columns.

At the Auckland Supreme Court on Wednesday a half-cast Samoan lad named Charles Williams appeared for sentence on charges of indecently assaulting a little girl at Manurewa, and of firing a gun at the girl's father after the latter had thrashed him. Mr F. S. Shell, the Education Department's probation officer, stated that the youth had originally been brought to him be? cause he had been annoying girls at a public school. Hie father, who was not resident in New Zealand, was willing that he should be sent to the Weraroa Training Farm, but he was sent instead to a farm at Manurewa, where the present offences were committed. Mr Shell suggested that the lad should be sent to the Burnham Industrial School, as he was more or less of a sexual degenerate. His Honour committed the accused to Burnham until he should reach the age of 21.